Robert (Bob) Rollings, 85, passed away peacefully on May 8, 2020 at his home in Santa Rosa, CA.
Bob was born December 17, 1934 in Santa Barbara, CA to Clarence and Minnie Mae Rollings. Bob attended Franklin Elementary School and Santa Barbara Junior High. He graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1953 and obtained an AA Degree from Santa Barbara City College. Bob also played football for both SBHS and SBCC. Bob served with the U.S. Navy as a radioman during the closing of the Korean War. In 1956, Bob married his high school sweetheart Eleanor (Ash) Rollings and together raised three children, Debbie, Cindy and Gary, in Santa Barbara.
Following his military service, Bob worked for numerous companies in Santa Barbara that included General Motors, Delco Electronics, Burroughs and Raytheon. Bob began his career as a draftsman working his way up to a mechanical engineer. Bob was extremely proud of the many projects he worked on involving America’s race to the moon during the 1960s. He also worked on many underwater projects contracted through the U.S. Navy involving early warning detection systems and was a trained certified scuba diver in support of these projects that spanned 31 years in all. Away from work, Bob was an avid carpenter and enjoyed do-it-yourself construction projects that included adding an addition to the family home and the remodeling of numerous rental properties he owned in the Santa Barbara area. Bob also enjoyed assisting family and friends with their various home renovation projects.
Bob ended his work career with the Department of Defense as a Quality Control Engineer for the Defense Contract Management Agency before retiring in 2001. Upon retirement, Bob went back to school and obtained his Doctorate Degree in Holistic Health. He held a 4 year practice before officially retiring for good and moving to Santa Rosa, CA in 2004 to be with his ailing sister and brother-in-law.
Bob was an avid sports fan and enjoyed playing tennis well into retirement. During his years in Santa Barbara, Bob was actively involved in the community dedicating his time to youth sports. He was instrumental in starting the Santa Barbara Pony Baseball League and help build the baseball fields for the Goleta Valley Little League where he served on the board, coached and umpired. He also dedicated his time to the Goleta Boys and Girls Club where he coached and umpired both boys and girls basketball, baseball and softball. Bob was also instrumental in the startup of the Youth Football League where he coached the Goleta Packers. He was a gifted storyteller and a member of Toastmasters for several years.
Bob enjoyed the outdoors, to include camping and yearly vacations to Lake Tulloch with family and friends. Retired and living in Santa Rosa, Bob enjoyed going on cruises, playing daily tennis, line dancing, playing his guitar, harmonica, and his ukulele.
Bob is predeceased by his former wife of 28 years and best friend Eleanor Rollings and sisters Loretta Campbell, Thelma Davidson and brother Clifford Rollings. He is survived by his daughters, Debbie Burkett (Les), Santa Barbara, CA, Cindy Ortega (Danny), Las Vegas, NV, son Gary Rollings (Debbie), Sebastopol, CA, and 9 grandchildren, Brian Burkett, Steven Burkett, Danny Ortega, Yvette (Ortega) Rodriguez, Lisa (Ortega) Corona, Anthony Ortega, Jonathan Ortega, Gary Rollings Jr., Beau Rollings, 13 great grandchildren and 4 great-great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held later this summer in Santa Rosa.
2 comments
Thank you for sending this article. I saw Bob often at his home but not after the virus. I stayed away. We played a lot of tennis with Bob. He was an enjoyable man. Really loved all of his activities and good at all of them. He really liked seeing me when I dropped in. He would ask me all about tennis.
Bob was a good friend of mine, he like to have a good time, laugh and make others laugh, he was a man who had love in his heart for hie family and all his many friends, he will be greatly missed.
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